Improvement in needles



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IIANNAII c. sUrLEE, oF sAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN NEEDLES.

Specification forming pnrt of Letters Patent No. 108,737, dated October, 1870; antedatcd October l5, 1870.

.T0 all whom, t may concer/1,:

Be it known that I, HANNAII G. SUPLEE, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Needles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters marked thereon.

Myinvention refers to certain improvements in that class of sewing-needles having the eye in the heel, whereby the threading is effected without passingthe point ofthe thread through the eye, as in the ordinary sewing-needle; and it consists in certain details of construction hereinafter described.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of :t needle having my improvement. Fig. 2 is a second elevation of the same needle at right angles to the first.

Like letters refer to like parts.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to fully describe its construction and operation.

a is the eye, and b is a depression or groove, in which the thread is retained when the heel of the needle is passing through the cloth or fabric.

c represents a central longitudinal split or passage at right angles to the axis of the eye,

by which the heel of the needle is divided into two nearly equal parts, each part containing a portion ofthe eye.

d d are inclined passages or openings through the metal surrounding the eye, one in each half of the heel, not opposite each other, but breaking joints, in such a manner that Fig. l represents a front view, and Fig. 2 a side View, of my improved needle. Thus it will be seen that the heel of the needle actually consists of two hooks, c f, with the points or ends turned in opposite directions, as described.

rI he operation of threading consists, simply, of passing any part of the length of the thread through the two hooks into the eye a.

The passages or openings d, d are inclined,

and have their points or corners rounded off, as shown in the drawings, to prevent catching the fabric in passing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire 'tosecure by Letters Patent, 1s

The needle described, provided with the hooks e j', inclined passages d d', and slit c,

' when arranged as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof have hereunto set 

